Cannot Access CD-ROM and "Code 31" Error Message in Device Manager After You Remove Adaptec Easy CD Creator from Your Computer (270008)

For a Microsoft Windows XP version of this article, see 314060.

This article also applies to Adaptec Easy Creator 5.01. IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

After you remove Adaptec Easy CD Creator versions 5.01 and earlier or DirectCD version 3.01 or 3.01c from your computer, your computer may experience the following behavior:

You are cannot access your CD-ROMs in My Computer.
In Device Manager, the following error message occurs with all CD-ROM devices connected to your system:
The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device (Code 31).
The Device Manager displays the following error code message:
A driver for this device was not required, and has been turned off (Code 32 or Code 31).
NOTE: You may also receive an error code 39 message that indicates that the driver is corrupted.
The Device Manager displays the following error code message:
Your registry might be corrupted. (Code 19)

This code means that the registry returned an unknown result.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

There are two supported methods to resolve this issue.

Method One

Remove the Upperfilters and Lowerfilters values completely from the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
NOTE: If you are getting a code 39 message, it may be that additional third-party filter drivers were added to UpperFilters and LowerFilters values in addition to Adaptec filter drivers. In that case, you may try to remove the non-Adaptec filter drivers first, leaving the Easy Creator filters in place to see if the Code 39 goes away. If you still receive an error code 39, 32, or 31 message, remove the Upperfilters and Lowerfilters values completely in the preceding key.
Restart your computer.

Method Two

If the above method does not resolve the code 31 error message and restore access to your CD-ROMs, if you also have Media Player version 7.0 installed, you can uninstall Media player version 7.0 and download and install the latest release posted at the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia

MORE INFORMATION

This issue may also occur with the latest versions of Easy CD Creator 5.01 and DirectCD 3.01d or later.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

NOTE: There may be other third party CD-Writing Software that exhibit similar behavior. Some or all of these troubleshooting steps can apply to them if they also add entries under the UpperFilters or LowerFilters registry values by either adding their filter drivers or by removing the registry keys and values outlined in this article that start with:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

WARNING: Ensure you perform a backup of your registry before you make any changes.